Hot-gas motor with means for regulating the indicated power thereof



June 30, 1953 CLAY r 2,643,508

HOT-GAS MOTOR WITH MEANS FOR REGULATING THE INDICATED POWER THEREOF Filed Sept. 7, 1945 INVENTOR P/ETER l/AJo CLAY, DECEASED, 5y dncoa an TETTJE CLASl/VA cum/ours AND 'PETRONELLA ml OSSELEN- cm 1/0////' III/P5 ATTOR NEY Patented June 30,1953

UNITED STATES PTENT OFFICE HOT-GAS MOTOR WITH MEANS FOR REGU- LATING THE INDICATED POWER THEREOF Application September 7, 1945, Serial No. 615,044 In the Netherlands August 13, 1943 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires August 13, 1963 Claims.

This invention relates to, means for and a method of regulating the indicated power of a hot-gas motor by using a minimum number of moving parts.

Regulation is effected in a manner already suggested by making the contents of the motor cylinder to communicate with a separate chamber containing a gas which may serve for the filling of the motor cylinder. The gaseous pressure in this separate chamber is increased or decreased according as it is intended that either a greater amount of gas should take part in the cyclic process or gas should be abstracted from it, in order thus to be able to vary the indicated power.

A primary object of this invention is to provide means initiated by the thermal input to the engine for regulating the power output of a hot-gas engine.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent fromthe description hereinafter.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical diagrammatic view of one embodiment of the invention with a displacer piston shown in partial section; and

Figure 2 is another embodiment of the invention in a drawing similar to Figure 1 in a more simplified construction.

According to the present invention, the variation in pressure of the gas in this separate chamber is effected by varying the temperature of the gas in this chamber. Hot gas motors, as a matter of course, are equipped with heaters for heating the working medium utilized in the said motors. The high temperatures necessary in the heaters are usually obtained by passing a hot fluid medium in heat exchange relationship with the said heaters. Such hot fluid medium may then serve in addition to supply heat to the gas in the separate chamber by passing in heat ex change relationship therewith as well. When an increase in power must soon be followed by a decrease in power, the gas in the said chamber may be cooled down again artificially, if desired, with the aid of the cooling liquid already present for the motor.

Hot-gas motors adapted to the use of the above-described method of regulation comprise a separate chamber containing means whereby municated with the container 2 l.

cates with the motor cylinder through a channel capable of being closed. By opening a valve provided in this channel the separate chamber is made to communicate with the cylinder. 11f the pressure in this chamber is higher than the average pressure in the motor cylinder during the cyclic process there will be a current of gas from the separate chamber to the motor cylinder, resulting in an increase of the indicated power of the motor. If the pressure in the auxiliary chamber is lower, the indicated power will decrease in entirely the same manner.

The invention will be explained more fully by reference to the accompanying drawing showing, by way of examples, two embodiments thereof.

In Fig. 1, reference It indicates the cylinder of a hot-gas motor in which a displacer H and a piston ii? are movable. The displacer ll divides the cylinder space into two portions, viz, the hot chamber l3 and the cold chamber Hi. In this hot chamber the gas during operation of the motor is solely at a high temperature which it receives from the heater 5%. The gas reaches the cold chamber through the cooler it in which the amount of heat still present after expansion is given off. Between the cooler it and heater I5 is a regenerator ii. Piston l2 and displacer II are driven from the common crank shaft [8 arranged in the crank case [9.

The contents of the cylinder Ill communicate with a separate container 2! by means of a conduit 20 which is coupled to the cold chamber [4. The container 2| contains a gas under a definite pressure, usually the same gas as that with which the motor cylinder is filled. The pipe line 20 is provided with a value 22 enabling the cylinder to be either communicated or not com- The latter contains below and above two spirals 23 and 24 or heating and cooling means respectively. The lower spiral 23 communicates with the flue-gas channel means 25 of the heating device for the hot-gas motor by means of a pipe line 25 capable of being closed. By opening the value 2'! provided in the conduit 25 a portion of the flue gases is led through the spiral 23. In this spiral a certain amount of heat is given oii to the gas in the container 2|, resulting in an increase of the pressure of the gas in this container. After the line 25 has been closed no further heat is supplied so that the pressure does not increase further. On the contrary, due to radiation of heat the temperature of the gas in the container 2| will slowly decrease, resulting also in a decrease of pressure. If, however, an increase of power must soon be followed by a decrease of power, the cooling of the gas may be effected more rapidly by opening the valve 29, due to which a portion of the cooling waterused in the motor is led through the pipe line 28 to the cooling spiral 24.

Fig. 2 shows another form of construction which renders the use of a separate heating spiral and cooling spiral, if any, in the container 2| superfluous. The parts corresponding to Fig. 1 are provided with the same reference numerals. In this case, however, the container 2| is provided with two conduits 30 and 32 capable of being closed, which conducts communicate with the motor cylinder I0. The communicating conduit 30 empties into the cold chamber l4 and the communicating conduit 32 into the hot chamber l3. By opening the valve 33 in the conduit 32 during several revolutions of the crankshaft, a portion of the heated gas periodically flows from the hot chamber |3 to the container 2|, giving off heat to the gas in this container. The amount of heat given off and hence the increase in temperature is, putting it broadly, a function of the time during which the valve 33 is opened. The rise in temperature of the gas in the container 2! results, however, in a corresponding increase of pressure so that with each revolution of the crank shaft there flows a little more gas from the container 2| to the motor cylinder than inversely. When the indicated power has increased sufficiently the regulation may be stopped by shutting the valve 33. A decrease of the indicated power is possible by opening the valve 3| instead of the valve 33 and thus bringing the container 2| in communication with the cold chamber of the motor. The above-mentioned regulation can be carried out only if the temporary decrease of power as a result of the addition of the separate chamber 2| does not bring about any interruption of operation.

What is claimed is:

1. A hot-gas motor comprising a motor cylinder, a cooler operatively associated with said cylinder in heat exchange relationship therewith, a separate chamber, flue gas channel means operatively associated with said cylinder in heat exchange relationship therewith, heating means and cooling means within said chamber, means coupling said heating means to said channel means, means coupling said chamber cooling means to said cooler, and means coupling said chamber to said cylinder.

2. A hot-gas engine comprising cylinder means,

, piston means therein, crankshaft means, means coupling said piston means to said crankshaft means, thermal input means operatively associated with said cylinder means, chamber means, heating means within said chamber means, means including a valve for selectively connecting said heating means to said thermal input means, and circulation duct means between said chamber means and said cylinder means.

3. A hot-gas engine as claimed in claim 2 wherein cooling means are provided in said chamber means.

4. A hot-gas engine comprising cylinder means, piston means therein, crankshaft means, means coupling said piston means to said crankshaft means, thermal input means operatively associated with said cylinder means, engine cooler means, chamber means, substantially spiral heating elements within said chamber means, heat conveying means including a valve for selectively coupling said heating elements to said thermal input means, heat conveying means including a valve for selectively connecting said chamber means to said cylinder means, substantially spiral cooling elements within said chamber means, and liquid conveying means including a valve selectively connecting said engine cooler means to said chamber means.

5. A hot-gas engine comprising cylinder means, piston means therein, crankshaft means, means coupling said piston means to said crankshaft means, thermal input means operatively associated with said cylinder, engine cooler means, chamber means, heat conveying means including a valve for selectively connecting said thermal input means to said chamber means, and coolingmedium conveying means including a valve for selectively connecting said chamber means to said engine cooler means.

JACOB CLAY. TET'IJE CLASINA CLAY-JOLLES. PETRONELLA VAN OSSELEN-CLAY. Joints heirs of the estate of Pieter Haa'o Clay,

deceased.

No references cited. 

